"A Christmas Carol"

“A Christmas Carol” is a wonderful tale about a miserly elderly man who dislikes Christmas. I have decided to focus on a major theme that comes across from this story: the theme of redemption, and the willingness to change.  Ebenezer Scrooge the protagonist of this story is a mingy creditor who believes Christmas is a day like all the others.  He rejects a Christmas dinner invitation offered by his nephew, screams at charity workers, and refuses to donate something.  Scrooge then encounters Jacob Marley his old business partner who died seven years ago, in form of a ghost. Marley predicts the visits of three ghosts that will take Scrooge in different journeys that will change his fate. When the “Ghost of Christmas Past” brings Scrooge to revisit his past, Scrooge is able to visualize his life from a different perspective. Scrooge then sees schoolboys, and recognizes each one of them; he then is “filled with gladness when he heard them give each other Merry Christmas (…) several homes? What was merry Christmas to Scrooge? (..)  What good had it ever done to him?”. Scrooge is perplexed about his feeling of gladness and does not understand it. Then, Scrooge sees himself as a child and consequently gets emotional. After seeing his schoolmaster he  describes him with the “ most extraordinary voice between laughing and crying; and to see his heightened and excited face; would have been a surprise to his business friends in the city, indeed.” Scrooge then regrets not to have given something to the boy singing at his door, the night before.

Scrooge then encounters the third ghost who introduces himself as the “ghost of Christmas present”.  In this stave Scrooge assists at numerous Christmas dinners. The ghost tells Scrooge that  Timmy Ti, the crippled son of Bob Cratchit will die if the future is not changed. In addition Scrooge encounters a boy and a girl who are “ Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish”. The ghost warns Scrooge about the boy who, “for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased”. The ghost implies that the future can be altered.

The last ghost that visits Scrooge is named “Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come”. He takes him in town and listens to businessmen discussing someone’s death. They then get to a poor and underprivileged part of town. In a store, people are gathering up items from an individual who has recently died. Scrooge wonders why the Ghost is showing him all this, and hopes he does not end up like this. When Scrooge is shown the bed of the corpse, he is incapable of reviling the body, afraid of seeing his own face. It’s only when the Ghost shows Scrooge the tombstone that he realizes he was the dead man from before. It’s at this point that Scrooge redeems himself. Scrooge comprehends it is not too late to change the future. It is alterable and it can change his fate completely. He swears he will honor and love Christmas in his heart. As his travels with the ghosts were progressing, his redemption was growing. The fact of seeing himself dead was the epiphany that made him realize he needed to change his manners.

"La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente" Oscar Wilde

In Oscar Wilde’s poem “La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente”, we find a heavy influence from his travels to the classic lands — more specifically, Italy.  The poem is invoked by the medieval tradition of courtly love, as the narrator depicts a woman with whom he is enamored by. The woman is portrayed as an unattainable and distant Mademoiselle, with whom the protagonist has no point of contact. The narrator is seduced by the very thought of this woman. Although there exists physical attention towards the “ Bella Donna”, he is engrossed by the mere contemplation of her. The narrator is merely describing the woman’s charm, in what seems to be her life journey. Wilde does not attempt to pursue her in anyway and instead, his purpose is to innocently describe this beauty. The narrator’s adoration for this woman is most obvious in the first stanza, where he pursues the “Bella Donna”, and fails to find her: “My feet are sore with travelling, For, calling on my Lady’s name”.  However, it seems that in the second stanza, an encounter is apparent: “My gentle Lady  passeth by”.  The narrator gently describes her to be “too fair for any man to see or hold his heart’s delight”. Wilde has set the tone for a poem centered on an indulgence of beauty and remote desire.

A subtle, but key component that must be considered when trying to understand the poem is the title. “La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente”, translates into “The Beautiful Woman of My Mind”, indicating the woman may have never existed. Just as whispers chanted that Dante’s Beatrice was but a fantasy, the “Bella Donna” may have well in fact, been the pure invention of the author’s imagination. Wilde could have possibly chosen a magnificent woman to be the exemplar of every human’s fear, which encompasses the passage of time, decay of youth, and our inability to control this. For instance, in just a matter of years this woman will grow old — and her once rose petal cheeks will blush no longer. Throughout each stanza, a season is described in no apparent order, however. Wilde uses the seasons to indicate a time flow, which is most evident in: “Green grasses through the yellow sheaves, Of autumn corn are not more fair” (line 15-16).  In the fifth stanza, the woman’s lips are compared to: “roses after evening rain”(line 20); in which roses are commonly found in the springtime. In the seventh stanza, the “Bella Donna” is compared to a pomegranate: “As a pomegranate, cut in twain, White-seeded, is her crimson mouth” (line 25-26). Lastly, in the final stanza, the enthralling woman’s visage is afflicted by her age: “White body made for love and pain! O House of love! O desolate , Pale flower beaten by the rain!” (line 31-32).

The focus of youth, infatuation and an unsettled mind are also pivoted in Oscar Wilde’s famous novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, which I coincidentally read this summer.  While sitting for his portrait, the protagonist Dorian Gray wishes to never grow old. Being the Gothic novel that it is, we discover his wish is then fulfilled. Dorian Gray soon lives a life of hedonism and debauchery where each sin committed is displayed as a disfigurement on his portrait, which ultimately leads to his death. The moral from this story is that some life patterns cannot be changed, and human beings just need to accept that beauty will vanish at some point in everyone’s life. Like in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, there lives a darkness in “La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente”. We find here: “Her little lips, more made to kiss…Than to cry bitterly for pain” (lines17-18) and “The throbbing of the linnet's throat…Is not so sweet to look upon.” (lines 23-24). Such references seek to display a wild sense of despair, whether that pain is inflicted on the narrator or the woman remains a mystery.

The World Is Too Much With Us

  William Wordsworth once wrote “Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher”. This bestows nature the power of being the ultimate guide in one’s life. In the poem The Word is Too Much with Us, Wordsworth experiments with this idea in the most subtle, yet concrete way possible. The speaker begins in criticism, by stating this world is full of individuals obsessed with money and wealth to the point where they become careless of nature and divinity. We are reckless in our actions, and are easily seduced by worldly possessions. Most importantly, the speaker places possession of the natural world, stating “nature that is ours” (line 3).  This leads us to believe that humans once appreciated it, but are now oblivious to it. Wordsworth then continues by saying “This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon; the winds that will be howling at all hours (…) for this, for everything, we are out of tune”  (line 8). In this case, he is sustaining that we are not in agreement with nature, even as he gives nature such human attributes.  All of these beautiful and incredible gifts that nature provides us with; gather up together and form a power that is not appreciated by mankind. Wordsworth floods the reader with images and historic references of God, myths and the constellation to remind us of this disconnect amongst ourselves and the natural world. In the early centuries, there was an accordance between man and nature – something lost as man progressed. This is an overarching theme we find in Romanticism; flirting with the idea of nature as the protagonist. In the last segment of the poem, Wordsworth separates himself from the carelessness humankind tends to have towards nature and religious spirituality. As mentioned in the poem, “Great God! I’d rather be a Pagan suckled in a creed outworn” (line 9-10), he does not want to associate himself with what he seems to describe as an empty world. There is a sense of frustration and despair in the words of Wordsworth’s which I am sympathetic towards. This poem is not about escaping reality like in past readings but rather, it is about comprehending it and the unwillingness to accept it– for our society is in a similar state, but in far worse shape.

Midterm exam: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Samuel Taylor Coleridge once wrote, “As I live and am a man, this is an unexaggerated tale — my dreams become the substances of my life”, and for this reason I have chosen to analyze a poem, which in my opinion, reflects the imagination and train of thought in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”. Instantly, I was captivated by the tale of the mariner along with an uncanny sequence of events that followed. The story is about a strange and elderly mariner who stops a wedding guest on his way to a reception with an urgent desire to recount a story. The mariner begins his tale by delving deeply into the past, back to a time when he and his crewmates set sail in his native land. The setting was picturesque; the day was depicted beautifully and sunny until they arrived at the equator, when a terrible storm hit the ship that transported them to a remote place. It was extremely cold and full of ice, when suddenly an Albatross arrived. The ship was finally able to maneuver its way out of the expansive isolation. While the wind was blowing, the Albatross flew alongside the ship. The mariners were grateful and viewed the Albatross as a sign of God’s grace. Nevertheless, the ancient mariner was driven by an impulsive desire to kill the Albatross.  From this point on, began a series of misfortunate events leading the Ancient mariner to regret his cruel and grotesque gesture.

For my critical analysis, I will focus on how powerful the natural world is portrayed in this tale, compare how Coleridge describes it before and after the Albatross’s murder, and explain how one act can directly affect the direction of the poem in its entirety. In addition, I will investigate the palpable metaphor that exists between the Albatross, Jesus Christ and religion. It was important for me to direct focus on the moral behind the story — the underlying question of whether or not the punishment received by the mariner was just. Above all, is the ancient mariner a reflection of humanity, or rather, a simple outcast paying for his mistakes?

Nature has a crucial role in the mariner’s tale. The first impact of the natural world is seen when “the Storm-blast came, and he was tyrannous and strong; He struck with his o’ertaking wings, and chased us south along” (line 41 to 44). While reacting on impulse just as humans do, here we see an example of how nature is anthropomorphized. Nature “struck” the boat, and “chased” them along. The boat is then found in an obscure and icy place, when suddenly an Albatross appears. The Albatross may be interpreted as the messiah, “As if it had been a Christian soul, we hail’d it in God’s name” (line 65-66), bringing light to the lost and scared mariners. With help from the Albatross, the mariners finally found their way out of the freezing place. In this case, nature appears friendly and generous; but these measures seem to highlight one main idea: nature is the protagonist. Nature’s capability of putting the mariners in a difficult position and helping them with the Albatross is a genuine act; but nature asserts its power over men. Nature can take one’s life as easily as it gives. The ancient mariner does not seem to comprehend this when he gives into a sudden impulse by killing the Albatross. Nature will never forgive him. After the murder, nature turns against him and ultimately, his entire crew. The Albatross is represented as a messiah — a savior the mariner cruelly assassinated.  As a result, he committed a major sin that will be severely punished.

After the murder, nature is described in an obscure and mysterious way. In part four, the mariner stops pitying himself and notices that which surrounds him, for instance, “ I watch’d the water-snakes: They moved in track of shining white” (line 274-275). He seems captivated by these unusual water snakes and is not focused on himself anymore but rather, seems enchanted by living things and nature itself. He blesses them for no particular reason, “ O happy living things! No tongue their beauty might declare: a spring of love gush’d from my heart, and I bless’d them unaware” ( line 283 to 286). At that moment, nature feels appreciated, so it decides to be merciful. Since the murder, the mariner has been nothing but spiteful and desperate, crying out “And never a saint took pity on my soul in agony” (line 235-236), accept in part two, when the mariner realizes he “had done a hellish thing” (line 91). The mariner does not seem to regret his act and consequently, nature is offended by this lack of remorse. It is only when he appreciates nature that he is able to sleep in peace. It is raining when he awakes, and wind is blowing in the sails. Nature appears to be on his side, offering him water and wind; it seems that the murderer is forgiven.

The Albatross is a gracious, divine creature and a creation of God. It conducts the mariners out of the distant place, soothes their disheveled minds, and serves as guidance to them. By brutally killing the creature, he offends all creatures, and all creatures are created by God. He comes to this syllogistic reasoning only in the last part, “He prayeth best, who loveth best, all things both great and small; For the dear God who loveth us, he made and loveth all.” (line 615 to 618).

            An interest in justice and fairness, the mariner’s punishment came to my mind because of religious concerns. A common belief of religious figures would be that of the forgiveness of God. Once a human being commits a sin, God forgives him. In this tale, we notice that before being forgiven, the mariner must suffer. In addition, I am unsure if the ancient mariner is really forgiven. He is kept alive by prophesying God’s superiority among others. When sudden pain hits him, he is destined to narrate his story to others. He is kept alive under this condition; and is haunted by the murder he committed. The mariner is ultimately a reflection of all human beings; but specifically a reflection of villains. The crime he committed scattered the death of all his mariners. They paid for his foolish act, and he will never release the weight of their deaths from his shoulders.

According to Romanticism, expanding your imagination was crucial to one’s essence. This was a major contrast with the traditional 17^th century way of thought: that reason was the supreme faculty of human beings. Romantics felt they were able to pursue the deeper meaning of objects and natural phenomenon. Because of their powerful imagination, they outpaced scientists and historians whose roles consisted of only delivering observed information to the public. In addition, imagination is linked to another principle concept of romanticism: nature. Imagination allows the poet to go beyond simply depicting natural occurrences. It permits them to explore and interpret nature as guidance symbols. Nature was essential for Romantics, an element that is often presented as a character itself, taking on a personality of its own. It offers guidance, support and comfort to protagonists in poems. It also serves as an escape from daily life, a powerful rescuer from civilization and human evilness. Nature is characterized as being pure, divine and untouched. Hence, it is usually associated with God. It is a peaceful and friendly environment that should not be troubled or disrupted in anyway. In this story, we could observe how by killing the Albatross, the mariner defies nature; and ultimately defies God. By committing this cruel act, he disrespects nature and his creator. That is why he is punished, an action much comparable to that of Adam and Eve’s sin: eating the forbidden fruit. God instructed them not to eat the apple and instead, they chose to sin and disobey God. They were punished for this foolish act and banned from the sacred garden, spending their lives in a pit full of pity just as the mariner, who spends his life in anguish and void, filling that emptiness by recounting his tale.

Preface to Lyrical Ballads, William Wordsworth

“Preface to Lyrical Ballads” seems to be a guideline to comprehend themes and subject matters of William Wordsworth. It is also to make the reader understand the form of poems, the moral impact on readers, and what a reader should understand from reading poems. The main focus of poets should be human nature according to Wordsworth. He explains his purposes in writing poems that seem to be deprived of any hidden meaning or message .He also argues that the best knowledge is the one from poetry; historians and scientist tend to have obstacles between them and the subject matter they are discussing. I was quite curious when I read about the idea that he believes he traces “primary laws of nature”. It seems quite odd to believe that a poet that interprets subject matters would believe that. Nature is a crucial aspect of Romanticism, and it meant several things to the Romantics. It is usually depicted as a character itself, protagonist of multiple poems, and quite often the center of attention. 

 Wordsworth believes that his poems speak to the common people and not just to the small portion of rich and wealthy people.  He writes about common life situations and especially “humble and rustic life”. He argues that by living a common life, you tend to appreciate more the small and simple things. As a consequence, you are purer, and comprehend better basic ideas that poets want to convey. Vanity, arrogance and self indulgence are less likely to influence these people, who “convey their feelings and notions in simple and unelaborated expressions”(between 5 and 6).  This simple language is being used to convey regular and uncomplicated feelings. Which, he argues are “more permanent, and a far more philosophical language”. He then continues by comparing this simple and “permanent” language to the usual language poets use. A language which is used to confer “ honour upon themselves and their art”  sets poets apart from the rest of the people, making them look like outcasts. Further on, he asks himself what it meant by the word poet, and what type of language is expected from a poet. He investigates the idea that it is a man speaking to men. I personally thought this passage was the most interesting.  The way Wordsworth illustrates precisely how poets emotionally interact with the readers is fascinating. “He is a man speaking to men: a man, it is true, endowed with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness” shows how much he values poets and their capability of observing the world in a different way than average men; he also mentions that poets are “pleased” with their passions and volitions” (part 16). These hidden beautiful things that only poets seem to notice,  and capability of being “affected more than other men by absent things as if they were present” an ability, or a skill that is far beyond the ones that are produced from real events. So poets acquired a skill that helps them express their feelings and emotions in a superior way than how a common person expresses his.  

Nevertheless, even if a poet is capable of feeling emotions that no common person has ever felt, if he is not able to translate them in language comprehensible to the common people, they are not valid. He then  goes on saying that poets could argue “It is impossible(…) to produce upon all occasions language as exquisitely fitted for the passion as that which the real passion itself suggests”(part 18).  His counter argument states that it can be difficult to translate into simple language, emotions that cannot be felt by some people. These “translations” might ruin the original meaning of the poem and convey the wrong message. He then argues “further, it is the language of men who speak of what they do not understand”. Wordsworth wants to highlight his idea of making poetry accessible to simpler people.“ I wandered lonely as a cloud” is a perfect example. It is a simple and elementary poem that is enjoyable and honest.

Keat's Odes

All of these poems seem to have something in common with each other: they are all emotional and filled with different sensations. Throughout all of these odes beauty seems to be a recurring theme.  It appears in several forms, such as a beautiful natural world or a beautiful woman. The concept still remains the same, but it is expressed in a very particular way. John Keat embraces the theme of beauty in a mysterious and unreachable manner: he combines it with desperation by undermining himself and our world. Beauty is described as an illusion; something that is crucial in the human world yet so fragile.

 In “Ode to a Nightingale” Keat explores the theme of the sad destiny of all living beings. Another main concern is the juxtaposition of pain and joy. In the first stanza, the poet feels content while listening to a nightingale sing. He seems to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs “My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains, my sense as though of hemlock I had drunk” (line 1-2). Hemlock is a poison made from an herb, so he is denoting that he drank something similar to poison. It almost seems as if he should not be allowed to feel this happy “ Tis not through envy of thy happy lot, but being too happy in thy happiness” (line 5). In the second stanza, he wants to escape his mixed feelings of joy and pain by desiring wine. By drinking wine he is seeking the effects that it would have on him; a feeling of pleasure and escaping reality. In the third stanza on the other hand, he suddenly realizes he is prevented from avoiding the reality “ Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget what thou among the leaves hast never known” (line 21-22), and in the fourth stanza he suddenly slips back to his fantasy world “ Away! Away! For I will fly to thee, not charioted by Bacchus and his pards” (line 31-32). In the rest of the poem he is captivated by the nightingale, and finally decides to follow his imagination. The main theme of the poem is the idea of escaping the unhappy reality of human life by being transported in another dimension with the help of a nightingale. The nightingale seems rather real at first, but we soon comprehend that he is used as a symbol to avoid reality. He is in complete in admiration with the nightingale, but he realizes what the bird represents is merely an illusion.

In “Ode of melancholy” pain and beauty are eminently linked to each other. The three stanzas address the theme of sadness and how to overcome it, or at least attempt to.  He is aware that the woman’s beauty will fade “She dwells with Beauty—Beauty that must die” ( line 21). The idea behind it is that knowing that beauty will fade away at some point makes the venture afflicting. That is why he must remain patient when “Or if thy mistress some rich anger shows” and attempt that by “ Emprison her soft hand, and let her rave, and feed deep, deep upon her peerless eyes” (line 18-20). He must value each day and not take moments for granted, and realize that this beauty will deteriorate.  Keats realizes that in order to experience joy we must experience sadness and melancholy.  This ode differs from “ Ode to a Nightingale” because Keats does not want to escape reality: he appears to be determined to accept the sad reality that beauty cannot last forever. He is not merely contemplating the natural world, or imagining things.

 Keat’s transportation of beauty is also found in “Ode to autumn”  in which he is fascinated by the season. He mentions countless flowers “ and still more late flowers for the bees” (line 9).  The same concept of time is reflected in this poem: the idea that the enjoyment will soon disappear due to the arrival of winter is reflected in the last stanza.  Although, in this poem Keats seems to really enjoy what autumn brings, and seems determined to enjoy every second of it; he is aware that it will not last forever, but he does not let this feeling disappoint him. In the third stanza, we found Keats accepting the idea of autumn dying, but he is aware it will come back at some point.  

The rime of the Ancient Mariner

“ The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is a poem written in seven parts by Samuel Coleridge. It narrates the story of an ancient mariner who stops a wedding guest on his way to the reception. Although the wedding guest is eager to leave, the marine insists, and begins narrating a youthful story.  In this long and rough poem, Coleridge main theme is the frightening and fascinating natural world.  The ancient mariner talks about the sea, as if it had an indubitable power over all the mariners. Considering how the mariner describes the sea, it almost seems as if it is a character itself. When the ancient mariner murders the Albatross, nature decides to take revenge and teach him a lesson. The wind that permits the boat to move suddenly disappear, the heat from the sun increases tremendously, and no water is available on the boat “Water, water, everywhere, and all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.”

The Albatross appearance is crucial to the poem. The sailors found themselves in a cold and unbearable place, “And now there came both mist and snow, and it grew wondrous cold” then unexpectedly, an Albatross emerges from the ice. The sailors interpret it as a sign of good luck, as if God was on their side “Thorough the fog it came; as if it had been a Christian soul, we hail’d it in God’s name”.  The Albatross is then killed by the ancient mariner; for no particular reason. One possible reason why the mariner would murder the Albatross is the idea that human beings are sinners. Considering the concept that the Albatross is contemplated as a divine being, individuals respect it but are not necessarily loyal to it. A valid example could be Judas Iscariot, who betrays Jesus and helps the authorities of Jerusalem arrests him. An animal that is respected, fed and admired is suddenly killed in a cruel and cold blooded way. There is no clear motivation behind the murder of the Albatross. The vicious act is meant to come off as an unjustified and uncalled action that has repercussions. It is doubtful that Coleridge had a specific motive of why the mariner kills the Albatross. 

The spirits come into play after the ancient mariner murders the Albatross. The first spirit is an indirect repercussion of the murder, and it is uncertain if it appears in the old sailor’s imagination or if it is real.  After suffering from thirst several days, the ancient mariner ends up being the only sailor alive on the boat.  The sailors got their soul taken away from them, and the ancient mariner is condemned of a life of living death.  The mariner is suffering, and cannot bear the sun and the thirst; he then decides to pray, and as a result he is able to sleep. After waking up from the sound of the rain, the boat finally moves. When the ship reaches the equator, it stops and starts moving back and forth. He then hears the first voice that accuses him of killing the Albatross. “The spirit who bideth by himself, in the land of mist and snow, he loved the bird that loved the man, who shot him with his bow” The spirit also proclaims that it loved the Albatross. The second voice seems to talk with the first one regarding the Albatross. It states that the ancient mariner will harshly pay for his crime: “The other was a softer voice, as soft as honey-dew: Quoth he, `The man hath penance done, And penance more will do.' The spirits represent the final judgment.  The mariner committed a sin and he is obliged to pay for it. He did not realize the gravity of the situation until the repercussions came into play. They serve to remind him that what he did was wrong. The killing of the Albatross has several consequences that the ancient mariner did not predict. The ancient mariner initially thought he was forgiven for his murder, but the reader realizes he is not.  His entire crew died of thirst he suffered from isolation and he is now condemned to live in a stage of life and death. The mariner’s encounter with the hermit is crucial. The mariner fears that the dead sailors will continue to haunt him for the rest of his life, he then believes that after all he has been through all his sins will finally be forgotten: “It is the Hermit good! He singeth loud his godly hymns that he makes in the wood. He'll shrieve my soul, he'll wash away The Albatross's blood."

 In several of his poems, Samuel Coleridge crosses the line between reality and fiction. In”Rime of the ancient mariner” the reader encounters multiple passages in which it is unclear if the mariner is describing what he really sees or just merely imagining things.  This technique is fascinating because it permits the character to picture things that challenge time and space. Another example would be “The lime tree bower my prison” a poem in which the main character cannot follow his friends in a journey. The character then imagines experiencing the journey. He recreates it completely with his imagination, and is then content as if he had actually experienced it. The moral here, is that nature is everywhere and you are able to experience it as you please.

Kubla Khan

Kubla Khan is a complex poem that was written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He was under the influence of opium when he wrote it. Coleridge had a dream, woke up, felt inspired and started writing the poem. He then got interrupted by a messenger after the first two stanzas, and wrote the last stanza afterwards.  The poem describes Xanadu, the place of Kubla Khan. The speaker starts by describing the setting of the palace. He mentions a river that run across the land, through underground caves and finally into the sea.  In addition, he describes the surrounding areas of the palace, saying that beautiful forests and fertile land can be found.

The poem was written under the influence of the opium drug and therefore has no one specific theme, or message that the writer wanted to convey. “Kubla Khan” is meant for the reader to feel like he is in an alternate reality. Images and descriptions such as “Through caverns measureless to man, Down to a sunless sea”( line 4 and 5)  are sporadic, and feel like illusions. The reader is transported to an ideal world that seems perfect and fascinating in comparison the England of Coleridge in the 17th century. The author wanted to escape his daily routine of English life and achieved this by means of a lucid unconscious dream. That is why he pictures himself in a picturesque place where he imagines himself being in a position of power.  In the last stanza, “In a vision once I saw” (line 38), the phrase allows the reader to understand that Coleridge is back to reality. In this moment, all collapses and appears to fall apart.  He describes a creature that ruined a perfect scenario “And all should cry, Beware! Beware! His flashing eyes, his floating hair!”.

  Another major theme of this poem is the interaction between man and nature. Throughout the entire poem, nature is a recurring motif and the way men interact with it is an essential keynote.  For instance, “Through caverns measureless to man” is a good example symbolizing how human interplay with the caverns.” (line 4) Throughout the entire poem the comparison between good and evil comes into play. The palace seems to be a sunny, happy and safe place: “a stately pleasure dome decree”(line 2). The speaker seems to be drawn back to the river throughout the poem “ Where Alph the sacred river, ran through caverns measureless to man down to a sunless sea” (line 2). Here the river is introduced, then it re appears stronger than ever “ It flung up momently the sacred river. Five miles meandering with a mazy motion through wood and dale the sacred river ran” (line 26).  The caverns appear to be huge, cold and scary. The speaker talks about them as if the river was fighting them “ Through caverns measureless to man” (line 3). In addition the speaker mentions a charming monster in the last stanza “ His flashing eyes, his floating hair! Weave a circle round him thrice” (line 50).  All of these elements seem to contrast each other. They seem to have been put together to make the reader understand that this charming place is not so perfect, and not everything is what it seems.

William Blake Homework

In these selections of poems, Blake gives us two completely different state of mind. He juxtaposes the innocent world of childhood against an adult world full of repression and corruption. In "Song of Innocence" he narrates several stories with different characters, that all seem to be angelic, exemplary, stainless, guilt-free and pure. In addition, he mentions God multiple times,"`Look on the rising sun: there God does live, and gives his light, and gives his heat away". This quote is taken from "The little Black Boy" and here we see that Blake wants to send his readers a specific message. Following God has to be the first concern in every person's life. On the other hand in "Songs of experience" Blake explores the adult world full of dishonesty, cruelty and corruption. Although we are aware of the fact that Blake was intensely religious, in these selection of poems he does not seem to take a side. He identifies himself with neither view. He is an outsider, merely narrating stories and sins of fictional characters. In most of the poems, he personifies himself in different individuals,  "My mother bore me in the southern wild, and I am black, but O! my soul is white;white as an angel is the English child, but I am black, as if bereav'd of light." Even thought this collection of poems explores values and sensations of two different perspectives of the world, most of the poems fall into pairs. That way, the same circumstances are seen through different outlooks. It is almost as if Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience are connected; Songs of Innocence amplify the innocent and ingenuous hopes and fears of childhood, and follows the change to adulthood. Some of the poems are written from the perspective of a child while others are written from an adult point of view. Songs of experience is written to describe how bitter and harsh are adult life experiences. Experiences that will make you forget about your innocent childhood. All of the main themes in Songs of Experience challenge the innocence of “Songs of Innocent”. Jealousy, shame, corruption, lies all go against the naïve and guilt free state of mind of childhood. Experience thus adds a layer of innocence that puts a shadow in a hopeful vision.  The language in the Songs of Innocence and Experience is every so often complex. Comprehending the subject matter is at time difficult. In several poems, Blake uses personification; while in others symbolism and abstract images seem to be the choice. I have decided to compare “The Tiger’ taken from “Songs of Experience” and “The Lamb” from “Songs of Innocence”. In the first stanza of “The Tiger” the speaker who is unknown, asks a question: Which God created him? “What immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry?” It also seems as if the speaker is scandalized that a divine being would even think to create a creature such as a tiger. He then continues, by saying that this divine being had the courage to comply his duty by finishing what he started, “and when thy heart began to beat, what dread hand and what dread feet?.” He then continues, by skeptically asking himself if the divine being that created this monster, also brought into existence the lamb. He then concludes, by asking himself the same question from the first stanza “ Tiger, tiger, burning bright in the forests of the night, what immortal hand or eye dare frame thy fearful symmetry?”. The main theme of this poem is the idea that a divine being can create an animal both beautiful and horrible. A God with the capacity of conceive an animal capable of violent acts but beautiful and fascinating.  The message here is that nature itself is a reflection of its creator. Since all beings were created by God, he himself cannot be as celestial as he is depicted to be.  He allowed the existence of evil in this world, so he is responsible for it. When he mentions the lamb, he points out that tigers and lambs have been created by the same God, reminding the reader that they are not so different after all, since they both have been created by the same divine being.

“The Lamb” contrarily seems to be narrated by a child.  He questions the lamb, asking him where he originated from, who gave him “a tender voice, making all the vales rejoice.” In the second stanza, he attempts the answer his questions by saying that the creator of the lamb is “ called by thy name, for he calls himself a lamb.” In the last stanza, the narrator blesses the lamb, “ Little Lamb God bless thee. Little Lamb God bless thee”.  The poem is descriptive and fascinating, with a question followed by an answer.  The child’s questions seems naïve and vague although genuine and thoughtful. The lamb symbolizes Jesus and the child’s faith. The child admires the lamb, and has faith in him. The child trusts the lamb and places his confidence in him.  This lamb is free of guilt, angelic. The lamb is perfect and seems flawless. The lamb is completely different from the tiger, even thought they were both created by the same divine being. In “Songs of Innocence” Blake conveys an image of a perfect God; a divine being which seems incapable of creating something evil. In “Songs of Experience” he is describing the reality of nature.  The two poems give an adequate view on religion that includes the angelic and perfect part, and the evil and harsh reality of the world we live in. These poems counterpart each other, providing the realistic point of view that Blake had on religion and nature.

auguries of Innocence analysis

In this poem Blake narrates multiple scenes that seem to have no connection between each other.The poem conveys several different things about the natural world where we live in. The poem is written with such great conciseness and precision, making it impossible not to empathize with all the protagonists and their inner struggle. In the first stanza, Blake says " To see a world in a grain of sand,  and a heaven in a wild flower" Blake is telling us two things. First, if we consider the world like a grain of sand, it tells us that the world is not as big as we think it is. All around the world, people tend to have the same problems and the same unresolved issues in their life. From my point of view, Blake is reminding us that at the end of the day we are not so different. The second verse on the other hand, contains a contradiction. How could there be heaven in a wild flower? Blake is telling us that things are usually not perfect in our natural world, and also that everyone does not have the same opinion about things.  Afterwards, Blake makes several animal images. In reality he is impersonating people through animals. The Robin redbreast symbolises a prisoner who is locked up. The dove house could be an image  of a country where there is a conflict, since "Shudders hell thro’ all its regions". The dog that is starving, could be an image of a beggar slowly becoming weaker, since no one is taking care of him anymore. The horse on the other hand, shows human cruelty. The horse could be a human slave, that " calls  to heaven for human blood". There are many other animal images, and they are all used to convey the same message: the downfall of the world, and all the suffering that comes into play. Blake was very religious, he wrote this poem to show how the natural world has changed overtime and how innocence has been lost in all living beings, and how we will all be 'judged" at the end of our life. The reason why this poem is so long, and is full of turn of events is because Blake tries to mimic living being's life. Full of challenges, ups and downs and difficulties. On line 53, Blake says that " A truth that's told with bad intent, beats all the lies you can invent" . Blake means that human beings tend to be selfish and insecure. If someone tells you something not because they want you to fix it, but just to point it out and feel better about themselves is worse then just telling a lie.

In my opinion, the most interesting part of the poem are the last verses. They are powerful and intense, and conclude the poem in a harsh yet strong way that leaves the reader lost in wonder. " We are led to believe a lie when we see not thro' the eye, which was born in a night to perish in a nigh," I personally think that this is the most beautiful verse of the poem.  When I first read it, I immediately though of dictators or even just a president. "We are led to believe a lie" meaning that if someone imposes, their way of thinking, and this person is in power, people will tend to think like him. The best example would be Hitler in World War two, when Germany lost World War one, the entire country was devastated. People did not believe in anything anymore, so when Hitler came to power imposing his racist ideology, Germany's population blindly followed him, "Led to believe a lie, when we see not thro' the eye". "Which was born in a night to perish in a night" is fascinating too, because it illustrates  how weak the ideologies really are. When Benito Mussolini came to power in Italy, everyone including my grandmother believed in him and thought of him as the "Savior of Italy".  When the fascism collapsed, almost everyone turned against him. His body, after being kicked and shot, was hung upside down in a gas station, and the body was then stoned by civilians.This example is to demonstrate, how an ideology that was acclaimed and applauded one day, could "perish in a night". The last verse " God appears and God is light (...) to those who dwell in realms of day" is used to illustrate the final judgment. Suffering throughout your existence is worth it, because you will be saved. "But does a human form display" illustrates the idea that God is always with us no matter what. He is always around, and his presence is in all of us.